WESTOE move into March still with ten games to play in their first season of national league rugby, taking them up to May 8.

With the County Championship being played in May, the fixture backlog creates a possible club or county dilemma for players such as prop Gareth Nesbit, the Westoe captain who has also skippered the county in the last two seasons.

Westoe, who have won ten and lost ten, visit Bradford and Bingley tomorrow sitting in seventh place in National Two courtesy of 14 bonus points, a tally bettered only by leaders Loughborough.

The Clark twins, James (11) and Chris (8) lead the try charts with 11 of the bonus points coming from four-try hauls.

Director of Rugby Andy Howells said: “We set out to finish in mid-table, but I see no reason why we should not finish fourth or fifth.

“The rise to national rugby has been a huge change and that is what people must understand.

But if we are to consolidate and push on then more changes need to happen.”

Bradford and Bingley are languishing in second bottom place, but Howells added: “I regard them as a real danger because they have recruited a few new players and now believe they can avoid relegation.”

Nesbit is unavailable and No 8 Michael Ellery is in the middle of a three-week ban for punching, but centre David Haswell returns.

In National Three North, Middlesbrough have only five games left and entertain Cleckheaton tomorrow before visiting Darlington Mowden Park next week.

Martin Featherstone remains at fly half, while young flankers Rory Duff and Carl Kirwan are both in the side, with Martin Dixon at lock alongside Richie Barker.

Mowden have seven games left and need to win at Sheffield Tigers if they are to have any hope of finishing higher than their current ninth spot.

They are in no danger of slipping any lower following last Saturday’s 30-10 home win against West Hartlepool, but would like to climb a few rungs and Tigers are the team just above them.

Stockton hope to keep their Durham and Northumberland division one promotion hopes immering when they travel to sixth-placed Horden, who will be keen to make amends for the heavy defeat they suffered at Station Road in November.

With last week’s game postponed, Stockton stick with the same squad, although experienced prop Simon Brown is available again, replacing the unavailable Dan Muirhead.